Demon World

by Balvir Bhullar

  Rowanne’s expression paled considerably as her bravado slipped. She knew what was coming...

  ‘I think perhaps, on second thoughts, I should share this with the rightful recipient: Alexander would find this information to be advantageous to your detriment,’ said Lillian considerately.

  A crimson blush spread furiously across Rowanne’s cheeks. ‘Don’t you dare say anything of what you’ve learnt. Or, Ghost or not, you’ll see the worst side of this ‘human’ as you so politely put it,’ she looked at her wrathfully, daring Lillian to carry out her threat.

  ‘Calm down. The colour actually puts some life back into you, it becomes you. I would not sink to such depths as spreading gossip, even if it’s the truth,’ she said knowingly, and smiled broadly at the look of disgust that marred Rowanne’s face.

  Rowanne turned away to suddenly occupy herself by looking around the room. After all, she needed to calm down. She was absentmindedly wandering about when a golden mirror caught her notice. She had barely glanced at it the first time around, but on closer inspection recognized the intricate carvings; the same demons and angels. Turning to Lillian, she said, ‘I have got the exact copy of this mirror in my apartment except mine is made of wood. Where did you get yours from?’

  ‘This mirror is very old; a family heirloom. It’s been here ever since I can remember. The gothic intricacy is beautiful, is it not? If the gothic style could be encapsulated in a mirror, it would look something like this. Anyway, this is nothing compared to the rest of the house. Though unfortunately, I fear it wouldn’t be safe to step outside these walls,’ said Lillian.

  Rowanne wondered if there was a company that specialised in making these beautiful creations.

  ‘No, there is not. It’s a speciality of my people,’ replied Lillian.

  Rowanne had actually gotten used to the fact that Lillian could read her mind. Besides, there was nothing she could do about it, anyway. ‘I’d probably be arrested if I were to leave, right?’ asked Rowanne.

  ‘That, and much more you wouldn’t want to face unnecessarily. Take my word for it.’

  Rowanne looked around the room. It was clean as if someone regularly and lovingly maintained it; a testament of their love for Lillian.

  ‘Speaking of the past, isn’t it time that you finally laid some ghosts to rest?’ asked Lillian. Rowanne’s shoulders tensed and then slumped, as if she was resigned to the fact that she could not escape the truth any longer.

  Rowanne went back to the bed and sat on the edge, her head down. ‘Tell me. Tell me the truth. I’m so tired of running away, but I’m scared...’

  Lillian sat beside Rowanne, and placed a ghostly arm around her shoulder. Rowanne looked up as she felt the air displaced around her, a gentle energy behind her neck.

  Lillian took a deep breath. ‘Have you ever wondered why it is that Mr Black is so very helpful towards you...?’

  ‘Alexander is the type of man to help out anyone in need,’ replied Rowanne magnanimously, even though she was deeply hurt that he had kept things from her.

  ‘You are quick to defend the one who has been lying to you all this time,’ said Lillian.

  ‘I admit, when you first told me that Alexander had lied to me, I was very upset. And I still am,’ said Rowanne.

  ‘Need I remind you that was only a few minutes ago. How have you forgiven him so quickly?’ asked Lillian, and wondered if there might not be something a little off with Rowanne rapidly switching between her emotions.

  Rowanne noticed the look of confusion pass over Lillian, who probably thought that she was crazy, but wearily she began, ‘Look, I didn’t say that I had forgiven him. It’s just that I’m still working through it. He has helped me a lot.’ Rowanne held up a hand to stop Lillian from interrupting, ‘I know what you’re going to say: that he only helped me because he felt guilty at hiding whatever it is from me. I am not a complete fool, contrary to what you may think.’ Rowanne gathered her courage and asked, ‘It’s really bad, isn’t it? I don’t think I want to know what you’re going to tell me...’

  Lillian sighed, heavy with the knowledge that she’d have to pass on to Rowanne. ‘It’s true, Alexander helped you for his own selfish reasons and to ease his own burden. Where do I begin...’

  ‘I find it helps to start at the beginning and to end with a bombshell.’ Rowanne tried to lighten the sombre mood that hung in the air.

  ‘How can you joke at a time like this?!’ exclaimed Lillian, incredulous at the sheer tenacity that was Rowanne.

  ‘It’s better than the alternative,’ said Rowanne, who didn’t feel nearly as nonchalant as she pretended to be.

  ‘Well, let’s get on with it. Do you remember what happened last Thursday?’ asked Lillian gravely, carefully studying Rowanne at each juncture of the truth that she would reveal to her.

  ‘I worked late into the night last Thursday. I fell asleep and woke up in the early hours of Friday morning,’ replied Rowanne.

  ‘Can you remember anything else, did anything unusual happen? Do you have any lapses in memory?’ asked Lillian, and watched with unease as a green light slowly began to encircle Rowanne’s head; though she was far from being aware that it was passing before her face. Humans could not perceive the subtle nuances of magic, and why would they?

  Rowanne felt the familiar feeling of sick dread that sat in the pit of her stomach, always waiting for the opportunity to get out and decimate her with a mind splitting migraine that would come on slowly, and continue to build should she try to recall things better left forgotten.

  ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to even attempt to remember,’ said Rowanne.

  ‘Trust me. Nothing will happen to you. You have to get past the block in your mind, however painful it may be. You are not alone in your suffering this time, I’m here and I’ve got you.’ Lillian smiled encouragingly at Rowanne, and concentrated hard so that she could hold her hand in support.

  Rowanne looked up in shock, ‘How is it even possible that I can actually feel the weight of your hand in mine?’

  ‘It’s difficult...’ and I’m sure I’ll pay for it dearly, later on. Each time that Lillian exerted power, she became weaker and tended to fade away far more quickly, as well as not being able to hold onto her form for long. ‘But not impossible,’ she finished.

  Rowanne decided that if Lillian could bear discomfort on her behalf, then she could do no less than face her own. She reached far back into her mind to the events of last Thursday evening, and closed her eyes to help block out her surroundings to zero in completely to what she had been missing.

  In her mind, she saw herself working late. She remembered thinking that the weather looked bad as if it would rain... What about it?

  ‘Say it aloud, then I can walk this journey with you. I can help to prompt your mind, at the very least.’ Lillian looked at the stubborn determination in the set of Rowanne’s shoulders and the way her face was all screwed up as she tried furiously to recall her lost memories. She was proud of her.

  ‘I remember finishing work and grabbing my coat and bag to leave-’

  ‘Wait, hold on a minute. You said that you fell asleep at work. So, how could you have left? What’s the true memory?’ asked Lillian.

  Rowanne was momentarily stunned with this insight. In her mind, she saw two scenes: the first was of her asleep at work. But when she peeled back the layer, she saw that it was superimposed onto a second; that of her leaving work, running down the stairs, and opening the doors to the cool night... it had been raining.

  Lillian watched as the green light encasing Rowanne grew a shade darker and began to spin faster around her. Rowanne screamed, and fell back onto the bed.

  ‘Rowanne, wake up. Wake up. What happened, what did you see?’ Lillian asked, her voice was high pitched in terror. What have I done to her... she wondered.

  Rowanne’s head felt as if it had split apart: the migraine had exploded the moment she recalled leaving her work. It was if the pain were actually shie
lding her mind from delving any deeper into her blocked memories; it would only do more harm to her than good. Be that as it may, she needed to continue through the red haze.

  ‘I’m standing outside of my place of work,’ continued Rowanne, much to the admiration and sadness of Lillian, who could not understand how a human being could carry on through such debilitating pain.

  Damn you, Alexander, for causing this poor woman so much suffering to hide the fact that you made a mistake. Was that what she really thought? Her conscience kicked in. After all, she too knew what it was like to break the rules and do the unforgivable; I am undeniably lifeless proof of what happens as punishment. At least they can live to regret, she thought hollowly.

  ‘Lillian, are you there?’ asked Rowanne faintly. ‘I was worried when I couldn’t feel you with me and thought perhaps you had gone.’

  Lillian was snapped back to the present, and felt ashamed at being dragged back into her own tumultuous past, when before her was a living breathing person who needed her to be strong. Rowanne was actually worried about me when she’s in pain, this brought a tear to her eye - a ghostly tear that evaporated within a matter of a second. She squeezed Rowanne’s hand in encouragement to continue.

  ‘I remember my grandmother’s necklace glowing. Glowing?’ she repeated to herself. Why had it done that? Maybe it had been a trick of the light, or... She had seen firsthand back at the apartment the power it contained, and shuddered.

  ‘Anyway, I felt uneasy, as if someone were watching me. You know, that gut feeling you get that something’s not quite right, but you can’t put your finger on it.’

  Lillian wondered yet again, if perhaps Rowanne was psychic, or ultra intuitive. Human beings should not be so readily dismissed in our world, thought Lillian.

  Rowanne’s breathing sped up as she remembered being chased in the rain by two men. ‘Lillian. Lillian, there were men after me...! What is it that I can’t recall?’ and she began to hyperventilate.

  ‘Calm down, Rowanne. Just breathe,’ said Lillian, as she tried soothing Rowanne’s mind. She had to use more of her power to bring Rowanne back to the present, so she could calmly revisit the past; not that she would find any peace there. Lillian felt anxious as her hands slipped in and out of focus. So, it’s beginning again... But she was determined not to let on to Rowanne.

  Rowanne felt herself being rocked back and forth, and slowly her panic became manageable to the point at which she could continue with the memory.

  ‘It is pouring down with rain, and men are throwing things at me — spears! Can you believe that?’ asked Rowanne, incredulous at what she was witnessing. ‘Can this be right, or is my mind making this up?’ she asked hopefully; fully in denial.

  ‘You tell me, Rowanne. It’s your mind, after all. You should know it better than anybody else!’ said Lillian, trying to get her to face the inevitable.

  Rowanne felt peeved at the useless response, but the anger took away from the fear. Guess I should be grateful for her scorn. She remembered running in the dark towards the car park, thinking that if she could just get to her car, then she’d have a chance.

  ‘Lillian, why can’t you just read my mind, like before? Instead of me repeating everything,’ and living through it twice, she thought sombrely.

  What could Lillian say to that? She could have read Rowanne’s mind, but that would require more effort, and that meant using more of her energy; she was already fading. ‘Rowanne, I am truly sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. Go ahead, I will see what you see.’

  Rowanne relaxed at the thought of viewing her ordeal once; that was enough for anyone, especially if they wanted to remain sane.

  Rowanne felt a warm and tingling sensation, and then unbelievably, Lillian appeared right beside her in the memory, which was frozen into place. Turning to her, Rowanne asked in astonishment, ‘How is this even possible? I can now walk around my memory and observe it from any angle without it hurting me. Look, even those men are frozen. Remarkable.’

  Rowanne walked to the two men who had frozen in mid run. Though their faces were blurry, the spears that they had thrown however, stood out in stark, sharp intricate detail. She could not believe how long they were. The wood glistened, and she could see the intricate metal work with the strange carvings that she could not understand. She noticed the water drops frozen on the sharp edge of the spear point — this was a weapon designed to kill fast and efficiently, when wielded in the right hands. Even though she could not see their faces to judge their expression, there was no doubt in her mind they had intended to kill her - but why? She didn’t have the answer to that yet.

  Lillian on the other hand, saw the scene for what it truly was. She could help Rowanne remember to a certain degree, so that she would know roughly what had happened to her, but all traces of Demon World were tied down in a strong magic. She could not believe how powerful Alexander was. She had always arrogantly presumed that her family were the deadliest and most powerful demons there ever were; she had been proven wrong with deadly consequences.

  Now, yet again, she was being proven wrong by a demon who almost equalled her in his ability to intricately weave strong magic that was unbreakable at a deeper level. I’ve only scratched the surface... she thought, dismayed. She could not seem to get through any further than the superficial barrier.

  Lillian walked around the Shadows and judging by their expressions, they appeared to be enjoying the hunt. The scent of fear only encouraged these lower level demons. Had they stumbled upon Rowanne by chance, or was it planned? If the latter, then it had to be a demon higher up in the ranks with the expertise and power to pull off this attack.

  Why target Rowanne? What was it about her? wondered Lillian. Admittedly, Rowanne was no ordinary human; she had her ancestral necklace. How on earth had it ended up in Rowanne’s family? Or, more precisely, in her grandmother’s hands - that was the mystery. And it could be the clue that they so desperately needed, but the fact that she was adopted and had no recollection of her parents proved problematic.

  Rowanne wanted to understand her memories but could they hurt her physically? Bravely, she touched the man before her expecting to make contact, but her hand passed straight through him. She was relieved to find that the memory was like a dream; she could not actually feel anything.

  ‘Rowanne, I think we should make progress, I’ll wind it forward for you,’ said Lillian.

  ‘Will I be observing it from the outside, or will I actually feel like the one being chased?’ Rowanne felt nervous to continue, her stomach weighed her down with all the tension that it held there.

  ‘Unfortunately if you experience it from the outside, then you will not have a complete memory. You won’t know how you felt - it becomes stronger when you use all of your senses, helping you to remember. Don’t forget, I’ll be there right beside you. You will see me in the background, but I don’t want to interfere with how you interact with it. However, I will give you the gift of freezing it, any time it becomes too much to face. I know this is bad enough! If you’re ready, shall we continue?’

  Rowanne shuddered and took a deep breath. The sooner she continued, the sooner it would all be over; damn the consequences! ‘I’m ready,’ she replied in a steady voice, despite not feeling the same confidence internally.

  Slowly the scene began to play, and once more, she found herself running. Her heart was pounding as she ran beneath the rubbish streetlights that barely stayed on. Finally, the car park was in sight, and she tried to make a mad dash for it, only to find herself cornered at the angel fountain.

  Where was Lillian when she needed her? Rowanne saw a ghostly figure behind the men; not that it gave her any courage. They’re going to kill me, what should I do? She could hear the fountain roaring behind her. Suddenly, all sound ceased as the street lights started flashing on and off intermittently. Each time the lights came on they brought the attackers that much closer, and then they’d disappear in the darkness as the lights went out, concealing them
, to her utter terror.

  ‘Lillian. Lillian!’ her mind started to freeze, her body wanted to shut down. Rowanne’s mind became a blood-red haze of pain as the migraine began to splice her in half. She felt physically sick, and her legs were about to give out at any moment. She counted the number of times that the light went out, and the distance between her and them. She braced herself for the onslaught. Not this time! she thought defiantly. The pain increased with her stubborn refusal to back down, her vision started to go, and she didn’t know how long she could hold on for.

  The men were before her, murderous intent in their eyes, and she could not plead with them to let her go. There was not a shred of mercy in them.

  Rowanne held up her arms to protect herself as the darkness closed in. The situation appeared dire, but strangely, help came from the last person she would have expected...

  So, he was there... I’m not sure how I feel about this. Alexander pushed her behind him, and confronted her attackers with a broadsword. What the hell was he doing with a sword? He looked as though he had just come straight from an historical re-enactment, judging by his strange attire. Why was he dressed as a soldier?

  ‘Lillian,’ she called, but there was no answer, and there was so much that she wanted to ask her. Finally she spotted her in the distance, but she was fading in and out. Oh my God, she’s losing her power. What do I do if she completely fades, leaving me stuck in this nightmare? Rowanne breathed heavily as she tried to move away from Alexander and the men, wanting to put distance between them. If she made it to her car, then she could possibly stop this memory and escape. Well, that was the plan.

  I didn’t even think about the cost to Lillian, how selfish can I be? Hold on Lillian, I’m coming for you, thought Rowanne, and took one step back, only to be blocked by Alexander’s giant arm encircling her.

  He turned his head around to look at her, ‘Do you mind staying in one place? I’m trying to help you here.’

  ‘I don’t recall asking you to save me. I was doing very well on my own, I’ll have you know.’ Who does he think he is? She was in no way intimidated by him - though maybe of the weapon, she was not stupid.